A holistic nutritionist and plant-based chef, Sarah Britton is the creative force behind the award-winning food blog My New Roots. Featuring original recipes that taste great, look beautiful and boast incredible health benefits, she has become an influencer to reckon with and gathered more than 370k followers on Instagram. Horyou blog is happy to interview Sarah and share her inspiration with its community!

Sarah Britton

How did My New Roots begin?

My New Roots began as a way for me to share what I had learned about wellness and healing through my Holistic Nutrition education, as I discovered so many things that I believed needed to be public information, not just for those who can go to school to study in this field. I wanted to set up a non-biased space for people to come and learn about how to take better care of themselves through diet and lifestyle, as I have seen immense changes in myself since making little, positive changes every day. Over the years my vegetarian, whole food recipes have inadvertently created a community of readers who are passionate about cooking. There are so many people out there who are hungering for direction and guidance in preparing nutritious food, and it is gratifying to know that I can play a small role in that. As emails from readers flow in every day praising the results of the raw cocoa brownies or sweet potato hummus they made at home, I am called to the cutting board to create yet another dish to satisfy those who want to take charge of their health and reclaim their kitchens. Their inspiration becomes mine, and the cycle continues.

What was the catalyst that turned you into a healthy foodie?

I lived in an experimental city in the high desert of Arizona for a year. There I worked on the organic farm, growing food for the community. That was the first time I experienced living in tune with the earth to such a degree and it was like I woke up for the first time. I ate what we grew, and gave up processed foods, which changed everything. I finally understood what it meant to feel healthy, alive, and vibrant.

Sarah cooks plant-based recipes

What is your food philosophy?
With every bite of food we take, we vote for the kind of body and the kind of world we want to inhabit. There is no doubt in my mind that eating a whole food, plant-based diet benefits both ourselves and the planet, more than any other way of eating.

Why are you so passionate about vegetarian plant-based food?
Eating a plant-based diet has changed the way I feel so dramatically for the better – I have more energy, clarity of mind, and most importantly, connection to the earth. There is also a noticeable peace and calm that comes with eating this way. The body is strong and mind is at ease.

What is the link between healthy and sustainably produced food?

Sustainable food production practices are in line with the earth’s best interests. And what’s good for the planet is also good for us. Chemicals pesticides, herbicides, fungicides harm the delicate balance of life, and are inevitably passed to us through what we eat, and everyone loses. I almost always check where food comes from, not necessarily how or who grew it, but I choose organic, biodynamic whenever possible, and will often pass on things that have traveled a long way to get me. Of course growing your own, or getting your food from someone local is the best, but we don’t all have that luxury!

The UN Sustainable Development Goals are much more than a vision for the years to come. They’re part of a concerted strategy to improve our society and to build a better future.

There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals

I’m sure you’ve heard of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). If not, let me introduce you to one of the boldest set of objectives that are meant to be applied worldwide. The SDGs are a collection of 17 targets set by the United Nations in 2017. They are meant to guarantee equality, economic and social development, peace and wealth for all by 2030, and ensure that no one is left behind.

One of the most important aspects of the SDGs is, however, their complementarity. This implies that, without Gender Equality (Goal 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (Goal 8) cannot be reached. Or, for instance, without Quality Education (Goal 4), Good Health and Well-Being (Goal 3) and Clean Water and Sanitation (Goal 6), it would be hard to envisage Reducing Inequalities (Goal 10). In short, there is no such thing as a goal more important than another, and no ranking that places most urgent and less critical ones. SDGs are like our world – interconnected and complex.

It also means that the SDGs are an intricate part of our daily lives. It might not be obvious to you, but the ordinary choices that you make can help to strengthen the SDGs and make our world a better place. Here are a few ideas about how you could introduce some of the SDGs into your routine:

– If you care about ending poverty and hunger, try to engage with bank foods or make donations to charity institutions. It’s important to avoid wasting food, as it’s one of the causes of hunger worldwide. And, when choosing your supermarket or a grocery store, make sure they have a good waste management.

– It doesn’t matter if you’re a woman or a man. Sexism is everywhere. Try to raise the subject with your friends and family and support the gender equality cause. The results will be beneficial to all.

– If you know of a brand using slave or irregular labor, don’t buy it. Tell your friends about it. The same applies to companies that pollute, engage in corruption and don’t provide decent conditions to their workers.

– How big is your carbon footprint? If we aim to have clean water, protect animal life and avoid climate change, we should opt for cleaner, more sustainable means of transportation, energy sources and habits. There’s a range of products and services available that are environmentally friendly and affordable.

A critical challenge, however, remains that of bringing up the topic at home, or the office, or again school and, why not, pubs and parks? You don’t need to mention the SDG acronym, but you could start asking people about their habits, and share your good ideas? The clock is ticking, we have little time left to change things… But one thing’s for sure: You can help build the kind of future you want!

Medical technology, or MedTech, brings solutions to improve lives using the latest advancements in technology. It is an evolving concept that combines innovative, high technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of things, nanorobotics, big data and even Blockchain to tackle the biggest challenges in medicine over the last decades. Overall, it has developed a more human, inclusive approach that aims to provide health for all.

Medical conditions and healthcare are being transformed by the disruptive and break ground technologies used by health professionals that are changing the lives after a rough diagnose or an accident. The main objective is to give back to the patient a certain level of the original quality of life by improving, replacing or simulating a physical characteristic close to the genuine one, in order to maintain the respective functionality and/or appearance. This aims to restore dignity and contribute to social inclusion. Therefore, here I will list the top 5 most impacting tools, methods and procedures that have been already implemented successfully in patients and have reached a satisfactory progress and rise in their quality of life.

3D printed body parts

The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine prints ear, nose and bone scaffolds that can be coated with cells to grow body parts. (Laurie Rubin)

3D printing started to gain awareness in the past years, as engineers and designers started using this tool to create the unthinkable. This technology has been around for two decades; fortunately, the price has come down in recent years and more people have been able to make use of it. Consequently, we’ve started to be able to really tap into its vast potential.

One really exciting application of 3D printing is the generation of body parts. The level of detail that this technology can produce often overcomes traditional methods results, offering patients a superior fit or design, and they can often be produced at an impressively low cost.

Virtual Reality for Medical experience and education

Dr. Shafi Ahmed wears a VR headset as he operates on a fictional patient as part of the Virtual Surgeon program his company designed.

On April 14, 2016, the British doctor Shafi Ahmed performed the world’s first operation broadcasted around the world via virtual reality.

The entire operation, which lasted approximately three hours, was live-streamed on Medical Realities website for people without a VR headset. For those who have one, they could download the “VR in OR” app to get immersed in the 360-degree surgery room, right beside Ahmed as he removed cancerous tissue from a male patient’s bowel.

The surgery began at 1 p.m. local time at the Royal London Hospital. Thanks to a partnership between Barts Health and the 360-degree video company Mativision, the broadcast will serve as a training tool for up-and-coming surgeons and other medical professionals. Rather than endure an expensive flight to a hospital for on-site education, students can tune into VR and still see firsthand how it’s done.

Food Scanners

Food scanners

A food scanner is designed to tell how many grams of sugar a fruit contains, or what the alcohol percentage of a drink is. Even though this is one of the most recent inventions that still needs adjustments in its different brands, it has been a powerful tool for people with gluten intolerance and diabetes to overcome fears at the time of eating and choosing food.

Food scanners will need to progress similarly to wearable health trackers – move from raw data to automated analysis and smart suggestions to the user.

Nanorobotics

Nanorobotics

Surgical nanorobots are introduced into the human body through vascular systems and other cavities. They act as semi-autonomous on-site surgeon inside the human body and are programmed or directed by a human surgeon. The programmed surgical nanorobot performs various functions like searching for pathogens, and then diagnose and correct lesions by nano-manipulation synchronized by an onboard computer while conserving and contacting the supervisory surgeon through coded ultrasound signals. Nowadays, the earlier forms of cellular nano-surgery are being explored.

Prosthetic parts

Printed skin made as face prosthesis

One of the bigger advancements in MedTech that have promoted social inclusion is all kinds of prosthesis either for humans or animals. Prosthesis comprehends a large diversity of technologies that contribute to the final result. 3D printing is used to recreate physical appearance as AI to recreate motion and dexterity.

The skin is technically the largest organ in the human body and thanks to 3D printing, it is possible to replicate it if needed. This can actually be done by taking a sample of DNA and growing stem cells to create a material to ‘print’ with. In the past, in order to perform a skin transplant, one would have to remove a patch from another part of the patient’s body. It might be a painful process and creates an additional unnecessary wound. It is officially possible to 3D-Print skin and transfer it onto patients but within a few years, will be even possible to have the capability to Scan and 3D-Print directly over the wound with just one machine.

With these MedTech solutions, healthcare is rapidly advancing not only to expand the variety of options to patients but to restore and improve the confidence and quality life conditions of them. A human being needs to feel useful in society to contribute and participate by its own means of them. That is why MedTech plays a fundamental role in integrating every individual as a needed and valuable member in the society.

Every 5th of June, the UN celebrates the World Environment Day. This year, the main theme is plastic pollution, a serious issue that has been contaminating land and oceans for decades.

UN plastic cleaning initiative

I have a challenge for you. Can you change one small habit in a one-week time?

Next Tuesday, on the 5th of June, the whole planet will be celebrating the World Environment Day. The date has been part of the UN calendar since 1974 and is a platform for raising awareness about critical issues like global warming, sustainable consumption and wildlife protection. In 2018, the main theme is just as urgent and worrying as ever: the plastic pollution that affects both land and seas and has been slowly killing biodiversity.

Now, back to the challenge. We’re a week away from World Environment Day. What could you do to put your grain of sand in this big, global castle that is environmental consciousness? Here are a few tips on how to contribute with a small action that can become a healthy habit and help to change the world.

– Say ‘no’ to straws: They are useless, can’t be reused and are one of the big villains of the oceans’ pollution. If you really need one, bring your own reusable version.

– Use tote instead of plastic bags: They are trendy, reusable and very environmental-friendly. Many cities are now banning plastic bags or charging for them, so ditching them is a way of being a good citizen, too.

UN beach cleanup in Mumbai, India

– Give preference to package-free supermarkets of grocery stores: They’re a trend in many big cities. Bring your own pot or package and fill them with the products you need. Many of them also work with organic and local products, which is a plus for your health and your community.

– Put pressure on local politicians to make stricter laws: What about calling your councilor and ask what he or she is doing to prevent plastic pollution in your city? Many cities have also open programs for citizens, like the participatory budget one where you can help decide where the money is going. Make sure they’re including the environment among their priorities!

– Join plastic cleaning initiatives in your city: You can support or volunteer for an NGO which works with plastic cleaning, or start your own initiative. While walking on the beach or in nature, you can pick all the plastic you find and give them a correct destination. Take the kids and make it a fun treasure hunt!

– Don’t forget to recycle: If your city doesn’t have a recycling program, try to contact NGOs or other initiatives that help you to dispose correctly of your garbage.

– Join the #HoryouLightChallenge: Pick your favorite SDG and share it within the Horyou platform. You can help to raise awareness about reducing plastic pollution in the oceans or any other cause you feel connected to. And you can also win an all-included trip to Singapore! See the conditions here.

Are you up to the challenge? The clock is ticking, you have one week to make a change!

Once a resource-constrained country, Singapore invests in sustainable and efficient technology to cater for its energy needs

Solar panels used to power walkway lights

Singapore has faced many challenges in the last two decades, most notably in the energy sector. With limited renewable energy options, the island still relies heavily on imports. Typically, according to the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCA), the average wind speed is not powerful enough to activate wind turbines, while calm seas limit tidal power generation. Not to mention that the country doesn’t have a river system with fast flowing water which makes hydroelectric power a rather impossible investment option, and nuclear plants are not safe due to the limited land area and population density.

Nevertheless, Singapore has committed to becoming a benchmark in green energy and to profit from one resource the island has abundantly: solar energy. Earlier this year, the NCCA announced that the country aims to increase solar deployment from 47MWp to 350 MWp by 2020. The goal is that renewable energy would represent 8% of all the power demand. In order to do so, the country is investing heavily in research and development, as well as in creating an attractive ecosystem for cleantechs.

One of the projects developed by the government is to install solar panels on rooftops of high-rise public buildings, as well as on water surfaces. The latter, pointed as a bold and innovative pilot program, has reached so many good results that it was recently extended to the ocean. Popularly known as ‘energy islands’, the structure will supply energy to industrial and residential areas. Yet, as the geographical limitation makes it harder for the country to expand indefinitely its solar power plants, the government has decided to invest in efficiency.

The University of Singapore is thus working on solar cells that convert more sunlight into energy, and is, to that end, is making them cheaper to be integrated into buildings. The cost of solar energy has also been reduced in the last decade, making it more competitive.

Last year, the government announced that six clean energy investments across the fields of solar, wind, microgrids and energy management will help position the country as Asia’s leading cleantech hub. Currently, more 100 than clean energy companies are part of this ecosystem and helping to attract research funds, as well as an elite team of researchers. The university has already 110 PhD students, half of whom have graduated and are working in the solar energy industry.

As the authorities have secured the funding and support for these projects, the future for clean energy in Singapore seems bright!